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Oriel y Parc's St David’s Day Stone

Oriel y Parc sits within its own grounds, with ample parking and full accessibility.

Enclosed within the arc of the building is a formal courtyard, in the centre of which lies the St David's Day Stone. The flat stone has been inscribed with a verse by former Archdruid James Nicholas. The verse is a "Pilgrim's Prayer", translated into English by the poet as:

"O God, You gave to St Davids a light
which to us is a mystery;
in Your turn,
O grant her a dream for Tomorrow."

At noon on St David's Day the stone is illuminated by a shaft of sunlight shining through the hole in the adjacent rock. This is the exact centre of the circle of the building design.

A path leads through an arch between the centre and the tower, into the woodland garden. Originally planted to provide shelter for the house opposite, it now provides a quiet counterpoint to the busy courtyard, and gives access to the city centre and Cathedral.

Within the woodland are the St Non's Stones. The initial idea for the sculpture came from the story of St Non, and the cliff tops on which she gave birth to David, during a raging storm. At the centre of the encircling winds was an area of peace and tranquillity in which the future saint was born.

"The aim of the sculpture is not to tell the story of St Non, but to create a sense of both an energy and stillness. It is there for people to experience, a physical presence, trying to form a bridge between the tangible and the unearthly" explains Richard Harris, the Powys based sculptor.